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Denny Hamlin paid tribute to the late Ned Jarrett following his third victory of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season on Sunday at Michigan. Jarrett passed away at age 93 on Thursday, June 4, at his home in Newton, North Carolina.
Hamlin, the driver of the No. 11, referred to Jarrett as the “original” No. 11. Jarrett won 50 NASCAR Cup Series races, two championships in 1961 and 1965, and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011.
After his racing career, Jarrett ventured into the broadcasting side of the sport and became one of the most recognizable voices in NASCAR history.
Denny Hamlin on Ned Jarrett’s racing success: ‘He won’
Many drivers have come and gone who drove the No. 11 in NASCAR. However, Hamlin said no one was quite like Ned Jarrett.
Hamlin said that Michael Jordan, retired basketball legend and co-owner of 23XI Racing, will say that Cale Yarborough was the “original” No. 11. Yet, the 45-year-old said if you know the history of the sport, Jarrett was the first to put the No. 11 on the map.
“If you listen to MJ, he’ll say that ‘Cale’s the original 11,’ right? But if you know the sport and you know the history, you know that Ned was the one that came onto the scene, and the guy showed up. He won,” Hamlin said.
Of his 50 Cup victories, Jarrett won 28 of them behind the wheel of the No. 11. That included a 15-win season in 1964 and a 13-win season in 1965 en route to claiming his second NASCAR Cup Series championship.
One of those 1965 wins included a victory in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, where Jarrett was the victor by a record-setting 14 laps over second place. It is a race Hamlin referenced during his post-race press conference at Michigan.
“Fourteen laps. Like, come on,” Hamlin added.
Hamlin went on to express his sympathies for the Jarrett family and noted he has created a great relationship with Dale Jarrett, NASCAR Hall of Famer and son of Ned. In the wake of Ned’s passing, Hamlin reached out to Dale to offer condolences.
Above all, Hamlin will never forget Jarrett’s days as a commentator, expressing how he and Benny Parsons helped introduce him to NASCAR’s deep history.
“I just will never forget that voice. Him and BP and all them, that’s how my introduction into the past started. Just, again, very much like the Busch family, you just try to do your best to pay your respects to him in a difficult time for the family.”
Denny Hamlin paid tribute to Kyle Busch after record-tying win
On Sunday at Michigan, Hamlin notched his 63rd career NASCAR Cup Series win. The victory tied him with the late Kyle Busch for ninth on NASCAR’s all-time wins list.
As he celebrated the win, Hamlin held up a tribute flag to Busch during his celebratory burnout. The flag displayed an “18” on it, with the No. 1 a tribute to Busch’s No. 18 at Joe Gibbs Racing, and the No. 8 recognizing his number at Richard Childress Racing.
Hamlin’s win at Michigan was his third of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, second straight Cup victory after winning at Nashville, and his second straight Michigan Cup win. He is currently second in the points standings, 51 points behind leader Tyler Reddick.
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